Otto Preminger's 1960 adaptation of Leon Uris's novel Exodus is a sprawling tale of the founding of modern Israel, starring Paul Newman as a resistance leader. The film works best as an example of Preminger's estimable skill with all levels of drama and action, but as a reflection upon history it is compromised by stereotypes, unpersuasive relationships and a certain moral ambivalence about issues related to the subject. There are good and exciting sequences, however, particularly one involving an effort to break through a British blockade and get to the homeland. --Tom Keogh

It isn't the best made film in the world; it is melodramatic and not particularly accurate historically, the characters are rather stereotypical and Hollywoodish, but I first saw it when I was 15 and it moved me so much that five years later, in 1967, in the middle of the Six Day War, I packed a small bag and went to live in Israel. Indeed "Exodus" is pro-Israel; why shouldn't it be?

As the story opens in Cyprus, several hundred Jewish refugees have just been taken off a boat headed for Palestine and incarcerated in a British prison camp. Jewish activist Ari Ben Canaan (Paul Newman) decides to stage a mass escape and send them all to Palestine on a new ship, which is dubbed "Exodus." On board the ship are teen refugees Karen and Dov (Sal Mineo) and Kitty Freeman (Eva Marie Saint), an American nurse.

It was a formidable task trying to transfer the huge novel to the screen, and it isn't completely successful. Newman is an odd choice, but gives a good performance as the stalwart hero. Saint is completely wrong for her part; she's unattractive and unappealing. The script doesn't help either; their so-called romance is practically non-existent. Sal Mineo was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his convincing portrayal of a child who survived the Warsaw ghetto.

The soundtrack by Ernest Gold is magnificent and the movie is actually filmed on location. While it may be a disappointment to those who have read the book, "Exodus" is still interesting and even inspiring.

Exodus is a pro Israel film. What is wrong with that? In Europe
most of the media puts the Arab point of view every hour with no attempt at "fairness".There is an element of stereo type of the British, Arabs and also the Palestinian Jews.Since the 1967 war we need reminding that the only Palestinians that fought for the Allies in the two World Wars were the Palestinian Jews now called Israelis.The word "Palestinian" has been inaccurately appropiated by the Arabs of palestine only.A dramatic epic and a reminder of the fact that the Arabs rejected all offers of negotiation which could have avoided refugee problems and war, and that the British Administration was not evenhanded but 100% pro Arab because of Arab oil and bolstered by traditional public school Anti semitism. Every one should see this moving film of the renaissance of the Jewish State after 1800 years.

Paul Newman is good as the Jewish hero, Eva Marie saint briliant as the gentile American nurse later in love with him. There are small parts by Ralph Richardson and Felix Aylmer well played.